Hazrat Muhammad (12 Rabi’I, June 2, 570 CE – 14 Rabi’I, June 8, 632 AD)

Hazrat Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) was a great educator and every aspect of His life was a guiding force not only for the Muslims but also for the entire humanity, adding acting upon his teachings would resolve problems including poverty, unemployment, falsehood which had caused destruction to the society. He was the prophet and founder of Islam and the Muslim world also the proclaimer of the Qurʾān.

Early Life

Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) was born in Mecca, a town in Arabia, on a Monday morning on the 12th of Rabiul Awwal more than 1,400 years ago. That year was called ‘Aamul feel or ‘The Year of the Elephant’. The Prophet’s father, Abdullah, belonged to the tribe of ‘Quraysh, which descended from Prophet Ibrahim. The Prophet’s grandfather was Abdul Muttalib and his mother’s name was Aaminah. It was his grandfather who named him Muhammed, a name that was new to the Arabs.

The Prophet’s father had passed away before his birth, and his mother passed away when he was only six years old whilst they were returning from Medina. His grandfather, who loved him very much, then brought him up. However, when the Prophet was only eight years old, he too passed away. After the death of his grandfather, Muhammed was taken care of by his uncle, Abu Talib.

One day when his uncle Abu Talib was about to set off on a business trip to Syria, Muhammed asked him if he too could join him on this journey. The Prophet’s uncle took him along and on the way, they stopped at a place called Basra where a Christian monk called Buhayra lived. When Buhayra saw the Prophet he said, “Muhammed is the Chief of the messengers of Allah.” People there asked him why he said this. He replied that when Muhammed came down from the nearby mountain, he saw all the trees and rocks kneeling down before him. As a young man, the Prophet was respected throughout the land. People used to call him Saadiq, the truthful, and Ameen, the trustworthy.

Divine Revelations

As the years passed by, the Prophet pondered and began to think about his creator, Allah. He spent his time remembering him in the cave of Hira, a mountain outside Mecca. At about the age of 40, Muhammad’s life abruptly changed. On the 17th day of Ramadhan, when the Prophet was forty years old, the angel Gabriel appeared before him and asked him to read, and the first verses of the Qur’an were revealed. Initially overwhelmed by the significance of what was being revealed to him, Muhammad found unflinching support in his wife and slowly began to attract followers.

Two years later, Allah commanded the Prophet to call the people of his tribe to the message of Islam. But when told, his tribesman became angry and many of them carried on their worship of idols and turned against the Prophet and accused him of being a sorcerer and poet.

From that day, the lives of the Prophet and the handful of people who had embraced Islam were made very miserable. The disbelievers placed thorns in their path, pelted them with stones and dirt from rooftops, and beat them. Once when the Prophet went to the Kaaba to offer prayers, the non-believers tortured him, they tied a thick rope around his neck, and while the Prophet was praying, choked him. On another occasion, they put a camel’s messy intestines on his back while the Prophet was in sajdah. The non-Muslims tried all means to extinguish the flame of Islam kindled by the Prophet but not a single Muslim left Islam.

Spreading the Message of Islam

When the tortures and persecutions became unbearable, Allah Ta’ala ordered His Prophet and the Companions to migrate to Medina. After the migration to Medina, the Muslims continued to strive for Islam. They would sacrifice everything for Allah Ta’ala and His Prophet. After many battles, finally, Mecca was also conquered and people from all over the world began to embrace Islam.

Muhammad was a religious leader, but also a political and military leader. Muhammad ruled Medina and united his followers with other Arabs, Jews, and Christians. He made treaties of alliance with nomadic tribes in the peninsula, which helped Islam to find acceptance and be spread during his lifetime. He used his military skills to defend Medina against attacks. By the time of his death in 632, Muhammad had unified much of the Arabian peninsula under Islam. According to Islamic belief, Muhammad was the only person to see Heaven and Hell while still alive. He was buried at al-Masjid an-Nabawi (the Mosque of the Prophet) one of the first mosques built by Muhammad in Medina.

The Prophet had a very beautiful character and excellent manners. People would come into the fold of Islam just by seeing the Prophet. The Companions of the Prophet obeyed every command of the Prophet and copied his beautiful character. This obedience gave them success not only in the hereafter, but they became the rulers of the world. It is necessary for us to read the seerah of our beloved Prophet and adopt his ways just like his Companions did. When we will obey Allah and his Prophet, then Allah will also make us successful. The Prophet and his companions bore all kinds of hardships so that this religion reaches us.

After the Prophet’s Death

Muslims were suddenly without a leader after his death. Muhammad had not named a successor or instructed his followers how to choose one upon his death. Muhammad’s father-in-law and trusted friend, Abu Bakr was elected as Muhammad’s successor. He promised Muslims that he would closely follow Muhammad’s example.

The Muslim community got divided into Sunni and Shi’i branches. Sunnis revere all four caliphs, while Shi’is regard ‘Ali as the first spiritual leader. The rift between these two factions has resulted in differences in worship as well as political and religious views. Sunnis are in the majority and occupy most of the Muslim world, while Shi’i populations are concentrated in Iran and Iraq, with sizeable numbers in Bahrain, Lebanon, Kuwait, Turkey, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.

Dates for Prophets Birthday

Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday also known as Maulid Nabi 12th day of the third Islamic month of Rabi’ al-awwal. It is a day of fasting and community meals, outdoor celebrations, and special prayers from the Muslim population,

Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday 2022 – 8th October

Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday 2023 – 27th September

Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday 2024 – 15th September

Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday 2025 – 4th September

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